Petunia plant named ‘Petpo26’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Petpo26’, characterized by its compact and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; and numerous flowers that are light purple in color with dark purple-colored venation and throats.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Petpo26.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Petpo26.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and outwardly spreading Petunias with numerous small flowers with attractive flower colors.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in September, 2000 of a proprietary Petunia selection identified as X99.2, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary Petunia selection identified as code number X99.23a, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Petunia was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of the cross-pollination by the Inventor in October, 2001, in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia since October, 2001 has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Petpo26 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Petpo26’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Petpo26’ as a new and distinct Petunia cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Numerous light purple-colored flowers with dark         purple-colored venation and throats.

Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of the female parent in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have light purple-colored flowers. Plants of the new Petunia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in flower color as plants of the male parent selection have light pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the cultivar MP20, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat No. 12,857. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers than plants of the cultivar MP20.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Petpo26’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical flowers and leaves of ‘Petpo26’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif., in an outdoor nursery during the spring with day temperatures about 24° C., night temperatures about 19° C. and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants were grown for 21 weeks in one-gallon containers with three plants per container. Plants were pinched one time. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Petpo26. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Petunia×hybrida selection             identified as X99.2, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary Petunia×hybrida selection             identified as X99.23a, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10 days at 22° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—About 21 days at 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant; indeterminate; compact;             initially upright, then low mounding and outwardly spreading             plant habit; plants eventually becoming hemispherical to             spherical in shape. Viscid and glandular pubescent.             Moderately vigorous.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching with about ten primary             lateral branches per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 16 cm.         -   Plant diameter, single plant.—About 32 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 27 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Internode length: About 1.3 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             144B. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface:             146B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 146B. Petiole             length: About 7 mm. Petiole diameter: About 2 mm. Petiole             texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly glandular;             pubescent. Petiole color: 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers; flowers             face mostly upward or outward; axillary. Flowers persistent.             Freely flowering, about eight open flowers per lateral             branch.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive; spring until             frost in the autumn; flowering continuous.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About seven to ten days.         -   Fragrance.—Faint, sweet.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Before flowering             commences: Alternate, simple. After flowering commences:             Opposite; simple. Length: About 3.3 cm. Width: About 2.1 cm.             Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly             glandular; slightly pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Color: Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             146A.         -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 4 cm. Tube length: About             2.2 cm. Throat diameter, distal end: About 1.3 cm. Tube             diameter, proximal end: About 3 mm.         -   Flower buds (showing color).—Length: About 2.4 cm. Diameter:             About 7 mm. Shape: Oblong. Color: More gray than 79B.         -   Corolla.—Quantity/arrangement: Five petals; fused,             funnelform. Petal length from throat: About 1.5 cm. Petal             width: About 1.8 cm. Petal shape: Roughly spatulate or             fan-shaped. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin: Entire. Petal             texture: Smooth, velvety. Color: Petal, upper surface, when             opening: 78B to 78C. Petal, lower surface, when opening: 77C             to 77D. Petal, upper surface, fully opened: 77B to 77C;             color becoming closer to 76C to 77D with development. Petal,             lower surface, fully opened: 77D; towards the margins, 77C.             Flower throat (inside): 79A to 79B. Flower tube (outside):             More gray than 76B. Venation, upper petal surface: 77A.             Venation, lower petal surface: 79B. Venation, throat: 79A.             Venation, tube: 79B.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals             fused at base, star-shaped. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About             2.5 mm. Shape: Strap-like; ligulate. Apex: Rounded. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,             upper surface: 146A. Color, lower surface: 146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.4 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Angle:             About 45° from the stem. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: Five per flower.             Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color:             85B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 90A. Pistils:             Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 1.4 cm. Style             length: About 1 cm. Style color: 144B. Stigma shape: Oval.             Stigma color: 146A. Ovary color: 144B.         -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Petunia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from 4 to 34° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Petpo26’, as illustrated and described. 